Solar Race Car

Who hasn't dreamed of being able to drive virtually forever, sailing past petrol stations without stopping for fuel? By providing funding, test and measurement hardware, and technical support, Keithley Instruments has been helping the University of Michigan s College of Engineering in Ann Arbor explore those possibilities by sponsoring MaizeBlaze, a solar race car designed and built entirely by the University s students. Keithley Instruments, a gold-level sponsor of the MaizeBlaze team, is a leading manufacturer of electronic test and measurement instrumentation.

The MaizeBlaze team finished in ninth place in the 1999 World Solar Challenge. The race covered more than 3000 kilometers (1,864 miles) through the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide. In addition to financial support, Keithley contributed test and measurement equipment the team used in evaluating the solar cells that powered the car. The team also employed Keithley s instruments for telemetry purposes, collecting data on operating parameters such as battery voltages, temperatures, motor output, etc. This information was then sent by radio modem to the team s strategists to help them get the best performance from the car during the race itself.

Eric Beaser, interim project manager for the race team, notes, "Keithley donated a Model 2420 High Current SourceMeter instrument and three Model 2000 digital multimeters, which we used to evaluate the electrical characteristics of various types of solar cells and charting their performance. This allowed us to optimize the configuration of the cells on the car, increasing the amount of available power and making us go faster. The Keithley test equipment saved us tens of thousands of dollars in evaluation costs. In the past, we d buy solar cells and then send them off to Sandia National Laboratories for evaluation. Eventually, it dawned on us that we could do this ourselves with the right equipment. In addition to the instruments, we ve received tremendous support from Keithley s Applications Department in setting up our test system and writing the application to run it."

About Keithley Instruments

Keithley Instruments, Inc. provides measurement solutions to high-growth sections of the electronics industry, including electronic components, telecommunications, and semiconductors. Engineers and scientists around the world use Keithley s precision test instruments, PC plug-in boards, and software for production test, process monitoring, and basic research.